Hello...I am trying to find information of any kind re: Francesco Antonio Rizzo, b. 24 Feb 1888 in Botondella? Italy. He was married, I believe to Josephine Forti/Forte (b. about 1891-1894). They immigrated to the USA in 1912. I would love information about when/where they married and who their ancestors (parents, grandparents) were.

According to family, Josephine was married twice. The other husband was "Chick" DeGerome. I believe he was her 2nd husband as they married in 1938 in Alleghey Co., PA. However, Mr. Rizzo lived until 1972. Divorced? One of Josephine's sons, assumed to be a son of Mr. Rizzo, took the DeGerome name of his stepfather. He was Patrick "Patsy" A. DeGerome. This is based on oral family history and not, at this point, on proven fact. If anyone can shed light on this for me, I would be so grateful.

Hi GayleWelcome to the forum. Do you by any chance have the 1912 passenger list for your Francesco Antonio Rizzo? or for Giuseppa? The correct town name is Rotondella in Matera Province. The Francesco Antonio Rizzo I see arriving from that town in 1912 was married to a Maria Gaetana Comparato. I found their 1910 marriage record among the online records for the town at familysearch.org

Erudita

To clarify an error in your post. It was the son Patsy who married in 1938 and not Chick and Josephine. The son was born in 1916, according to his 1938 marriage record, which you can view online at familysearch.org

Hi Erudita...I have seen the marriage record and the WWII draft card. The family has lived in Allegheny Co. for a few generations so I believe any reference to the name in that area is the correct family..I have found census information for 1930 and 1940 that shows his wife as Josephine as well. On the 1930, the son Patsy is also shown in the family. My head spins when I work on this family. I'm just trying to sort it all out. Do you know if Chick (DeGerome) is a nickname for an Italian man's name?

Welcome to IG website here is the marriage record INDEX#301910 Oct 22nd in the the town of Rotondella appeared Antonio Francesco Rizzo age 22 farmer born in Rotondella son of Giuseppe Rizzo and Isabella Fabiano marriedMaria Gaetana Comparato born in Rotondella age 21 daughter of Nicola Comparato and Giulia Mele

Birth extract of Antonio Francesco Rizzo 1888 Feb 26th in the town of Rotondella in a house on vico Giglio #12 birth of Antonio Francesco Rizzo son of Giuseppe Rizzo age 28(abt 1853)mason son of Francesco Rizzo and Isabella Fabiano age 23(abt1858) farmer daughter of deceased Vincenzo Fabiano

Birth extract of Maria Gaetana Comparato 1889 Feb 14th in the the town of Rotondella in a house on via Rolle Canori #12 birth of Maria Gaetana Comparato daughter of Nicola Comparato age 32(abt 1857) son of Pasquale Comparato and Giulia Mele age 26 (abt 1863)daughter of deceased Filippo Mele

gayleputt wrote:Hi Erudita...I have seen the marriage record and the WWII draft card. The family has lived in Allegheny Co. for a few generations so I believe any reference to the name in that area is the correct family..I have found census information for 1930 and 1940 that shows his wife as Josephine as well. On the 1930, the son Patsy is also shown in the family. My head spins when I work on this family. I'm just trying to sort it all out. Do you know if Chick (DeGerome) is a nickname for an Italian man's name?

Hi GayleThe nickname Chick might be for Charles or Carl (in Italian Calogero or Carlo), but really it could just have been a nickname that was given to him for some other reason and may not have been related to his first name at all. Also you should not assume that your Rizzo family was the only one with that surname in that area of Pa. Rizzo is a common Italian surname. I still don't know about Chick's surname and the 1938 marriage info found for Patsy with the DeGerome surname, and the mother named Josephine Forti. I have to give this mess some more thought, as it is just not adding up for me.Erudita

GayleI was just looking at the marriage record of Patsy DeGerome on familysearch.org. Where he lists his father as Chick DeGerome, it also says that he is dead. So, if Chick was deceased in 1938, then he and Josephine Forti probably did not marry in that year. Online at familysearch, there are estate indices for Allegheny Pa. The names are not alphabetized within each letter, so you would have to go page by page, but you might be able to find Chick's date of death that way or possibly something more about him. It may be a long shot, but if you have the time, you should go through the index, at least for the letter D.

GayleI found an obituary for Patsy DeGerome. Unfortunately it doesn't give his parents' names, or help explain why his surname changed from Rizzo to DeGerome, but it does help make the link to his Rizzo siblings found in the census records. Obituary is on page 8 of 18.

Wow...you have given me a lot to think about. I don't think as clearly as I used to so it's taking me a bit to organize this and digest it...but I'm sure now this is the right Rizzo/DeGerome connection. Isabella, Betty, Joseph, James and Helen (if she is aka Concetta) are all children of wife #1. I believe Anthony and Patsy are the children of Chick and Josephine Forte DeGerome. And I think Rocco Rizzo is a child of Rizzo and Josephine Forte. I need to confirm it of course but it makes sense. My son's girlfried (Faye DeGerome) said two of the DeGerome brothers were stepsons of Antonio Rizzo - one took the Rizzo name, the other did not. So Patsy it would appear kept his name and Anthony probably was the one who changed his name to Rizzo, based on the family oral history. I had it all wrong in the beginning, but Faye insists it was the DeGerome boys were step sons of Rizzo.

At least I have a few new directions to travel down. I still need to find a marriage date for Rizzo/Forte...that would help determine which children belong to which wife. Although Antonio lists his 5 children on his naturalization application (Isabelle; Elizabeth or Betty; Giuseppe or Joseph; Vincenzo or James V; and Concetta or Helen. Their dates of birth match the Americanized names.

I appreciate all of your help on this....If you find anything more...please post. It's coming together.

Erudita...you are right..I mixed up the date of marriage...it was Patsy who married in 1938 and not Chick. If I'm correct that Rocco is a product of Rizzo/Forte then Chick died before 1928 and I'm guessing Rizzo/Forte married in the late 1920's.

erudita74 wrote:GayleI was just looking at the marriage record of Patsy DeGerome on familysearch.org. Where he lists his father as Chick DeGerome, it also says that he is dead. So, if Chick was deceased in 1938, then he and Josephine Forti probably did not marry in that year. Online at familysearch, there are estate indices for Allegheny Pa. The names are not alphabetized within each letter, so you would have to go page by page, but you might be able to find Chick's date of death that way or possibly something more about him. It may be a long shot, but if you have the time, you should go through the index, at least for the letter D.

Thank you so much for the links to the documents. Most helpful. You all are great! I don't think I'd ever unravel all this without your help.

adelfio wrote:Welcome to IG website here is the marriage record INDEX#301910 Oct 22nd in the the town of Rotondella appeared Antonio Francesco Rizzo age 22 farmer born in Rotondella son of Giuseppe Rizzo and Isabella Fabiano marriedMaria Gaetana Comparato born in Rotondella age 21 daughter of Nicola Comparato and Giulia Mele